Following the sizzling arrival of Zhu Ting Ji earlier this year, a certain Taylorsville strip mall (5486 S 1900 W) has started to develop into something of a must-visit spot on the West side. As well as the xiao long bao charms of the aforementioned ZTJ, you’ll find boba and ice cream at neighboring Frostea, hot pot at Mr D’s Instant Hot Pot, and now the latest to join the fun at the plaza – Grill Bar.
The menu is reminiscent of West Valley City’s now shuttered Matchstick Bar and Grill; I make the comparison, as since their departure, shaokao has been absent from the local food scene. At least as far as I know, do correct me if I’m wrong…so I can make more dining plans…
Grill Bar notably deviates from Matchstick in service style, each table fitted out with a tablet ordering system. Once seated, you can scroll, flip, and tap to your heart’s content. Dishes are added one by one to an ongoing tab. Check out is self-service through the device too. It’s an introvert’s dream, “Sweet, I don’t have to pretend I’m interested in the day’s special after the server’s monologue”.
The ordering model makes for a perfect hangout spot with friends, loaded with long conversations. A skewer here, a big bottle of Sapporo there (Grill Bar does offer several beers, and I think, some moderately priced mixed drinks). Rinse and repeat as the lingering, errr, longers. The ersatz neon signs that decorate the walls reinforce the laid-back hangout vibe, glowing with iconized mugs of beer and martini glasses.
Dishes typically arrive in brisk fashion, appearing in whatever order they are completed in the kitchen. The signature skewers are probably where you want to begin; indeed, the restaurant’s exterior facade is plastered with pictures of the Chinese barbecue dish. Trios and quartets come lacquered in a mala spice blend that’s offered through a variety of spice levels. For newcomers, beef, lamb, tofu, and pork belly offer a familiar entry point, while offal parts the likes of kidney, heart, intestine, and more, are available too. All we try are good to very good, and brought out by a welcoming and friendly team.
Alongside those, you’ll find a half dozen options of congee, as well as several ‘tin foil’ dishes – tangles of glass noodles bathed in a spicy red sauce, bolstered by everything from shrimp to lobster to razor clam. Tables are also preloaded with debris containers, for want not shells and sundry.
The expanding collection of businesses (more appear to be coming along by the looks of things) makes for the perfect mini food crawl, grab those friends full of conversation, and head to Taylorsville.







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Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.
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